The xx’s debut album starts off with what may be the most effective introductory song ever made: a two-minute, brooding, bass-heavy anthem with indistinguishable vocal chanting. It is simply called “Intro,” and it seamlessly sets the disposition of the following 38 minutes that the listener is about to embark on. “VCR” comes next, and Romy Madley Croft’s voice sneaks in amongst a sparse beginning of chimes and no more than five guitar notes. This bare arrangement seems to be the game plan for the album, as Croft duets with her male counterpart, Oliver Sim, in a coy match of forlorn reactions.

The band is actually a quartet hailing from southwest London, and what’s remarkable is how young they are: their debut came just as they all turn 20 years old, yet the content is strangely mature, atmospheric and even slightly indifferent. Dressed in trademark, gritty black attire, evoking a new-wave punk infusion, these young adults have already played alongside The Big Pink, Micachu, and School of Seven Bells. They have seemingly erupted onto the musical radar without warning, and there isn’t much information about them to substantiate this advance. Their web site has one video, silhouetted against a giant, graphic letter “X” yet no biography, discography, press mentions, nor media. It is certainly mysterious, and the evolvement of the album further validates the image that external sources might be trying to suggest, although I imagine their “brand” is far from their mind’s priorities.

Continuing through the remaining songs, “Crystalized” stands out as one of the strongest tracks, based in a gorgeous guitar interplay and simplified drum machine. Halfway through, it erupts in a succinct and rhythmic tune; it becomes easily hit-worthy before propelling the listener back into a quiet refrain. They juxtapose imagery of paralysis, paradise, mountains and seas, and the mystification of affection, seemingly a wide range of topics to cover all at once, but they manage to successfully pull off the jumble and make it a unified concept.

Each track induces a different mood depending on the listener: hazy beach-bobbing on “Islands,” evocative, coarse elevator melodies on “Basic Space,” and a very passive version of lounge music on “Infinity.”

It’s not like The xx is doing anything particularly new, but their style is definitely under-utilized in this day and age. They reclaim angst from its clichéd pits, revamp it with a dose of sincerity, and help us take a step back and strip away all that is overbearing in our lives.

Tags: Radio K